The standoff between the government and health workers persists as the doctors’ strike stretches into its 54th day without an agreeable solution.
Speaking to the media on Monday, May 6, KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah expressed disappointment in the recent negotiations, labelling them as coercive rather than collaborative.
“The only tool to entrench justice is to strike. We demand a mutually agreeable RTWF (return to work formula), not a one-sided document. Our commitment to healthcare justice remains unwavering,” Atellah asserted.
We reiterate: the only tool to entrench justice is to STRIKE. We demand a mutually agreeable RTWF, not a one-sided document. Our commitment to healthcare justice remains unwavering.#DoctorsStrikeKE pic.twitter.com/YxO0Hw3NJE
— Davji Bhimji Atellah (@Davji) May 6, 2024
Reiterating the union’s stance in a post on his X account, Atellah said the strike is still on until they have a mutually agreeable return-to-work formula rather than a ‘one-sided document’.
Atellah said the union refuses to be coerced into signing a document inconsistent with the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
“The only thing workers have to bargain with is their skill or their labour, and therefore when WE decide to strike, we must strike and strike and strike again without tiring because the only tool to entrench justice is to strike. We are on Day 54 of our strike and we shall continue to strike unless we have a mutually agreeable RTWF, not a one-sided document. The strike continues!” he said
Following a meeting with the Ministry of Health on Friday, May 3, Atellah accused the government of attempting to impose an “incomplete and one-sided return-to-work formula” instead of negotiations.
“Last evening, another attempt by the union to negotiate failed after the government side refused to engage us on any of the clauses that the National Advisory Council (NAC) found unsatisfactory. They instead decided to use veiled threats and blackmail to force us to sign an incomplete and one-sided return-to-work formula,” Atellah disclosed.
In response to the stalemate, Atellah announced plans to seek legal recourse.
Atellah lamented the government’s approach during negotiations noting that the union had attended the meeting ready for negotiations only to be met with threats.
“For now, we are preparing to go to court on Monday to put forward our position. I want to assure you that tough times don’t last, tough people do because when impunity becomes law, resistance becomes duty!” Atella said
“More than ever we now believe that this government does not care about Kenyans because last evening we went to the meeting to end the strike. We flew in all the NAC members so that we be able to vote and end the strike, but we were treated to aggressiveness and theatre of the absurd where one side came up with an RTWF only agreeable to them and proceeded to sign it alone despite the court ruling otherwise.”
